Page 163 of Homecoming

“It didn’t just work out,” Keith said. “You saw to it, and we’ll be forever grateful for everything you did for us.”

“Family takes care of family,” Dan said.

“Goes both ways,” Keith said. “If you ever need anything, anything at all… If a toilet backs up at your place, I’ll be on the next flight.”

Dan laughed. “I might just take you up on that, because according to my lovely wife, I can’t fix shit.”

“I’m your guy,” Keith said. “Any time. Anywhere.”

Judith served a delicious dinner that included grilled chicken and steak and what seemed like twenty different sides.

“How’d you pull this together so fast, Mom?” Kara asked her.

“Are you kidding? I used to feed thirteen people every day. This is nothing.” Judith looked around at the gathered family and seemed pleased that everyone was there—and getting along. “Our family hasn’t been close the way I hoped it would be.”

“There’s still time to turn that around. You’ve got us all here now.”

“Yes, I do. In fact…” Judith pinged a knife against a glass to get everyone’s attention. “I’d like to invite you all home for Christmas dinner this year. It would mean a lot to me to have everyone here.”

Most of the siblings nodded in agreement.

Dan glanced at Kara, eyebrow raised to let her know it was up to her.

“We’d like that,” Kara said. “I’ll see how I feel after having the baby in November. We’ll try to be here, though.”

With Kara back in the fold, all eyes turned to Kingston, who was usually the main holdout on anything to do with the family.

After a long pause, he said, “Sure, Mom. That sounds great.”

Dan and Karaplanned to fly home to Gansett three days after the celebration dinner, having decided to give themselves a little more time in Maine before they left. They spent another day on the water with Bertha and Buster, took a hike in Acadia and went out for a fancy dinner for two in Bar Harbor. On their last night in town, they invited everyone to Bertha’s for a lobster- and clambake, overseen by Buster, the expert.

He taught Dan how to dig the perfect hole and to use seaweed to flavor the food.

Standing at the kitchen window, Kara watched her husband, shirt off and glistening with sweat, working side by side with her beloved uncle, tears springing to her eyes.

Bertha came up behind her and squeezed her shoulders.

“Look at them,” Kara said. “Dan’s right in there with him.”

“Only because Buster likes and respects him, or he’d tell him to get lost.”

“That’s true,” Kara said with a laugh. “Oh, Bertha… I never should’ve stayed away from here so long. I can see now that I was only punishing myself.”

“Sometimes you have to go back to find the way forward.”

“I never would’ve known that until I experienced it.”

“That’s how life works. We’re learning until we die.”

“Can you believe my dad and Uncle Henry, picking back up like they weren’t on the outs for close to twenty years?”

“I’m very happy for both of them. The power of forgiveness should never be underestimated.”

“Does that mean I need to forgive Kelly and forget about what she did?”

“No, never. Some things can’t be forgiven. That’s one of them.”

Kara laughed at the emphatic way that Bertha said that. “I think, at some point, whether I should have or not, I forgave them because I simply don’t care anymore. Their actions led meto the life I was meant for, and I suppose I should thank them for that.”

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